This invention relates to a thermal energy engine and more specifically, an engine which utilizes thermal energy to change the state of a liquid between a frozen and melted condition. One of the greatest problems of present times concerns the availability of energy sources and the production of mechanical motion from a suitable energy source. As the available amount of coal, oil and gas are continuously utilized, their cost is becoming prohibitive for continued economic use and alternate sources of energy are being sought. For example, the use of nuclear energy is being studied as well as the use of solar energy as a main source of power.
Numerous naturally occurring sources of energy are being tried to produce mechanical motion by means of a suitable engine. However, most of the engines, regardless of their energy source, produce a great amount of heat during the conversion process. The heat reduces efficiency since it is generally wasted and is a source of energy loss. Additionally, in many situations, the heat of the engine may be dangerous to the environment such as an ammunition plant, mine, fuel plant or the like. As a result, appropriate insulation and safety measures must be attended to, to prevent the heat from the engine to damage and harm the surrounding area. Additional problems with existing engines include their production of byproducts which tend to damage the environment. Most engines produce a great amount of pollution in the form smoke, heat, noise, and other items detremental to the environment. These not only reduce the efficiency but require additional systems to purify or compensate for the damage to the environment.
One source of energy which has hithertofore been given little consideration is the available thermal energy. There is generally a readily available supply of heated material and cooled material which could provide a temperature differential as a source of thermal energy. For example, there is naturally occurring cold fluids such as cold air, cold flowing water, as well as snow, ice, and other naturally occurring fluids which are readily available especially during a cold season and generate a cooling potential. Similarly, there is frequently available a natural heating potential from hot air, solar heat, hot water, or other natural available heated fluids.
In addition to the natural available cooling and heating resources, artificial heating and cooling fluids are also available and are generally discarded without finding any use. For example, the waste heat from a power plant or other industrial plant is generally discarded and unused. In addition to possibly contaminating the environment with pollution effects, it contains a loss of energy since the heat is not utilized for any purpose. In fact, often additional equipment such as a heat exchanger or cooling tower is used to dump the wasted heat from the power plant into the environment. This heated fluid provides a source of heating potential which can be utilized in conjunction with a cooled fluid.
The available cooling resources and heated resources provide a temperature differential which can be utilized as a source of thermal energy for operating an engine to convert the thermal energy into mechanical energy.
One problem, however, has been that heretofore little if any attention was given to recognize that there exists this source of thermal energy which can be utilized in a suitable engine. Furthermore, there was generally not recognized how to provide an engine for utilizing such thermal energy in the form of temperature differential, so that appropriate mechanical energy can be achieved.